Bearing for platform-scales



' (No Model.) I

S. AUSTIN. BEARING EUR PLATFORM SCALES.

No. 516,958. Patented Mar. 20, 1894.

uunmnnmm l we NAT: oooooooooooooooooooooooo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN J. AUSTIN, oE TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

BEARING FOR PLATFORMTSCALES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 516,958, dated March 20, 18.94.

Application filed August 16, 1893. Serial No"l 483,249. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. AUSTIN, of Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Scales, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip-- pointed out in the claims. l

Figure I is a detail, vertical section, taken on line II, Fig. III, and illustrative of my invention. Fig.II is adetail elevation. Fig. III is a vertical, transverse section, taken on line III-III, Fig. II. v

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents part of the foundation of the scale, having the usual standards 2, upon which the ends of the levers 3 rest with a knife edge bearing 4; only one of the levers, or a lever for one side of the scale only is shown in the drawings, as this is sufficient to illustrate my invention, which does not, in itself, relate to the levers.

5 represents part of the platform of the scales, which has bearing plates 6 over the levers 3. 7 is a bridge-piece having knife edge bearing 8 on the lever 3, there being, of course, a bridge-piece for each lever.

My present invention relates to the manner of mountingthe platform on the bridge piece 7.

9 represents pear shaped rockers located between the bearing plate 6 and theends of the bridge-piece; these rockers having convex, upper ends 10, fitting in concave recesses 11 in the bearing plate; the radius of the re- 4o cess l1 being greater than the radius of the upper end of the rockers, so as to permit of a universal joint between the rockers and the bearing plate. The lower ends of the rockers have convexbearing surfaces 12, resting upon convex bearing surfaces 13 on the bridgepiece, the bridge-piece being preferably recessed,l as shown at 14, and the bearing surfaces 13 being at the bottom of these recesses. These surfaces 12 and 13 form reversed spherical bearings, which are very sensitive in their action, as well as being universal..

For the purpose of keeping the bearing surfaces from slipping, one upon the other, I tix pins 15in the bridge, the upper ends of which are received by sockets 16 formed in the lower ends of the rockers, the sockets enlarging inwardly so as not to interfere with the universal movement of the bearing. This mannerpof supportin g the platform provides a universal, or so to speak, ball and socket bearing at both ends of the rockers, thus relieving the knife edges and other parts from any wear or side strain which would interfere with the accurate working of the scale, and at the same time holding the platform in position byy natural gravity, the rockers being eccentric or self-righting when resting on a dat or convex surface.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a scale, a self righting rocker of pear shape formed with a convex upper end, and with a convex lower end of greater diameter than the convex upper end; substantially as described. Y

2. In a scale, the combination of a lever, a bridge-piece, a platform, and .rockers located between the platform and bridge-piece; said rockers having convex, lower ends bearing against or itting in recesses in the bridgepiece and bearing against convex surfaces on the bridge-piece, and pins 15; substantially as and' for the purpose set forth.

STEPHEN J. AUSTIN. In presence of ELMER F. WILLIAMS, RICHARD V. NEWTON. 

